A Buffalo property manager has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting the failure to provide lead paint hazard warning notice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced yesterday.
Paul Richard Heil, 52, of Buffalo, NY, entered his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, Heil was a property manager acting on behalf of Williamsville Property Holdings LLC, a.k.a. Williamsville Properties. Between December 2015, and May 2018, Heil and the company were aware of lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards at a Wick Street residence in Buffalo, a two-family house that was built in 1905.
In April 2018, and again in June 2020, Heil and Williamsville Properties rented the residence to lessees. Heil provided a lead disclosure statement to those tenants, which falsely affirmed that the landlord “has no knowledge of lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards in the housing,” and “has no reports or records pertaining to lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards in the housing.”
The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Tyler Amon and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge Christina D. Scaringi. Additional assistance was provided by the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 8, 2022, before Magistrate Judge McCarthy.
Heil’s actions have put the tenants at risk of lead poisoning, a serious health hazard that can have long-term effects on children’s development and adults’ overall health.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of proper lead hazard disclosure and the consequences of failing to comply with federal regulations.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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